Army veteran forcefully removed from home after protesting forced demolition

Thursday, September 5, 2013

China Aid Association

September 5, 2013

An elderly woman was surrounded

by six policemen as she protested

the demolition.

On Aug. 31, local government in Xiaomiao village, Xichang city, Sichuan Province sent over 300 police officers to arrest an Army veteran, Sun Xianfa, who was resisting forced demolition. Over the course of the incident, more than 10 villagers were arrested and many more were beaten. Sun's daughter-in-law was injured while holding her one-year-old child. The child, as one would expect, was frightened by the commotion.

According to a rule set by the local government in Xiaomiao village, when a demolition is ordered, families are compensated 50 square meters per family member. Because of this rule, Sun's family of four would have been compensated with 200 square meters of living space compared to the 700 square meters of their current home. It is because of this loss of 500 square meters that Sun refused to vacate the premises in order for it to be demolished. The village was ordered to be cleared by the local government for undisclosed reasons.

Local police enter Xiaomiao village.

A ChinaAid source reported that both Sun and his son served in China's army. Sun's son is currently serving while Sun was recruited in 1973. Sun served as a sergeant in the self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam in 1979. After leaving the army, Sun worked as a village leader in Xichang city for nine years.

ChinaAid notes the irony that a family with two generations of servicemen was allowed to defend their country, but not their home. Please pray for the Sun family, especially for Xianfa as he is still in police custody.